Coastal News: 'Humbled' MP pledges hard work

CHEERS!: Coromandel MP Scott Simpson, with family and friends, celebrates his massive victory with brunch on Sunday morning.

National's Scott Simpson was returned as the MP for Coromandel with more than half the votes cast in the electorate and an increased majority on his 2011 result, despite the fact fewer people voted in this election.

The Green Party candidate Catherine Delahunty, with 5382 votes, was 14,783 behind Mr Simpson's 20,165 but she will return to Parliament as a list MP for the Greens.

In the 2011 general elections Mr Simpson beat Labour's Hugh Kininmonth with a 12,740 majority. Votes counted this year were 34,346, 504 fewer than the 2011 count of 34,850.

After the election Mr Simpson told Coastal News he was "thrilled and humbled" to have been re-elected with such a huge majority.

"I want to thank the people of Whangamata and the Coromandel - it is a huge privilege to be the MP for the area and their representative in Parliament.

"I will be dedicating the next three years to working hard for the Coromandel," Mr Simpson said.

On election night he said he celebrated in Thames with about 100 people. He said after watching the results from the various electorates it seemed the Coromandel voting was reflected elsewhere in the country with the collapse of Labour and The Green Party.

"I was door-knocking in Whangamata the day after 'Kim dot.bombed' and people seemed to be very motivated and supportive of the National Party," Mr Simpson said.

Some of the exciting issues to look forward to in the coming term included providing high levels of public service; better infrastructure and getting ultra-fast broadband into the Coromandel - but not in Whangamata.

"We will be making an extra investment into the rural broadband initiative for Whangamata, which should help improve services."

Other results: Mike Downard (Ban 1080) 373 votes; David Olsen (Act) 140; Hiria Pakinga (Maori) 151; Korbinian Posch (Labour) 3858; and David Walkden (Conservatives) 1037.